1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to temperature sensing of a body particularly temperature sensing and measurement of a body.
2. The Prior Art
Temperature measurement of bodies, e.g., animals or humans has widely been done with the conventional glass thermometer. Such thermometer, however, has numerous drawbacks; it must be shaken before use, a delay of minutes is required before it registers the patient's temperature, it must be sterilized from patient to patient and it has breakage problems. In an attempt to overcome the above shortcomings electrical thermometers have been developed. These electrical thermometers generally include a probe member having a temperature sensor mounted at the leading end thereof, which sensor is electrically connected to a read-out means such as a meter or display. To meet the problems of sterilization from patient to patient, such probes are provided with disposable probe covers, usually thermoplastic tubes; see for examples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,349,896 and 3,832,669.
However, the above disposable probe covers or sheaths, delay the transmission of the patient's temperature to the temperature sensor of the probe and in turn, the temperature read-out means, which results in uncertainty and delay in the temperature taking and measuring proces. To overcome such delay, probe covers have been developed having a metal tip in the sensing end thereof, for improved thermal conductivity; see for examples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,738,479, 3,929,018, and 4,117,926. However, while such metal tipped probe covers reduce the delay of temperature transmission from the patient to the temperature sensor of the probe, a significant temperature transmission delay persists.
There is therefore, a need and market for an electric thermometer which, though employing a disposable probe cover, substantially obviates the above prior art shortcomings.
There has now been discovered an electric thermometer including a probe and a disposable probe cover in which upon contact of the probe and probe cover of the invention with the patient, the thermal transmission delay associated with prior art covers is minimized or eliminated and the time in obtaining a temperature measurement or read-out of such patient is markedly reduced.